Monday, February 13, 2017

Meet Rae Missigman!

“The highest prize we can receive for creative work is the joy of being creative. Creative effort spent for any other reason than the joy of being in that light filled space, love, god, whatever we want to call it, is lacking in integrity. . .– Marianne Williamson

1. I think I began a form of art journaling about 20 years ago when I was creating my scrapbook pages. I was this hybrid scrapper and a real “rule breaker.” I always did something different or found a way to create a dimension to my pages and was stitching on paper long before anyone thought that was cool. I discovered that I loved paint one day and never looked back. I just needed more texture and layers than only paper could lend to my work so I began creating an art journal and never looked back.

**What inspires you?

2. I think I am most inspired by the world around me. I have never been a person to sift through Facebook or Pinterest for sparks of ideas. I just don’t have the patience for it so I look around me instead. I love nature an think that is why my work is more abstract and organic in nature. I will make notes or quick sketches or snap a photo of something that I run across during the day, like- amazing textiles in a clothing shop or pattern in a rug or the movement and marks that fill a jar of brushes. If I could tell anyone to “go-to” for inspiration it would be the outdoors. I would say look at the leaves and feathers and pebbles everywhere. They have their own amazing texture and pattern to offer.

**What type of journals do you use?

3. I typically use handcrafted journals. I make them out of all sorts of assorted papers and never give too much thought to the substrate being too small or too fragile. I like may pages to be all sizes and shapes and think it makes for a chunkier cooler book in the end. I even incorporate fabric as pages. I hand or machine stitch my signatures together and then try to come up with an inventive cover for the journal- something like repurposed cardboard or scraps of fabric sewn together. I love that the journals are a part of who I am and reflect my style. Favorite paper weight? Thicker is better for lots of layering and mediums but that doesn’t stop me from singling out the most delicate vintage papers as my favorites- I just add a few layers of paint before I begin to give them a bit of tooth and sturdiness.

**What are your go-to supplies?

4. If I had to choose a handful of supplies that I could not live without I think these would be it: #2 pencils, an big round tipped paint brush, china markers, a scraper and heavy bodied white paint. I love all art supplies, but if I had these few things and assorted colors of acrylic paints and inks I would be happy forever.

**What is your best advice to other art journalers?

5. My best advice to other journalers is this: DO WHAT YOU LOVE! So many of us get hung up on worrying about what others will think of our work that we forget that should be making art for ourselves, because it makes US happy. Of course it is lovely when someone admires your work, but first and foremost I think we owe it to ourselves as artists to enjoy we do. That will always be reflected in our work. If we don’t love it then how is anyone else supposed to love it? I say worry less about what everyone else says about your art and more about doing what makes you happy when you create!

**Can you give us a Tip or Two for our journals?

A TIP: Use things that surround you in your art. If you are looking to create work that is unique then think out of the box and get creative. Don’t limit yourself to what the art supply store has to offer you, but instead try to incorporate unique tools and ideas in your work like chipboard, magazine clippings and plastic scraps.

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“A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid any more.” ― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Taught here October 2014 & 2015

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